4—Lancaster Farming, Friday, July 19. 1957
|a|icaster kpartnlng
Lancaster County’S'Own Farm Weekly Newspaper
Established November 4, 1955
Quarryville, Pa. Phone STerling 6-2132
Lancaster Phone Express 4-3047
Alfred C. Alspach
Robert E. Best
Robert G. Campbell
Robert J. Wiggins.
Subscription Rates: $2 00 Per Year
Three Years $5.00; 50 Per Copy
Entered as Second-Class matter at the Post Office,
Quarryville, Pa., under Act of March 3, 1879
Facts on Farm Fatalities
The fatal-accident rate has been increasing on our
farms in this country, according to a USDA tabulation of
available data ARS agricultural economist John Rush
analyzed information .from death certificates provided by
the National Office of Vital Statistics Fatality rates for ac
cidents on farmland and about service buildings increased
from 6 7 per 100,000 persons during 1940 to 1943 to 10.3
during 1949 to 1953. (Figures are based on information
that is not comparable in every detail because of classifi
cation differences)
During the 14-year period, 31,521 fatal accidents
occurred on United .States farms This does not include
either disabling injuries or fatal accidents that occured in
the homes or off the farms such as traffic deaths) Rush
pinpointed the time and kind of accidents, the age group
and States in which accidents were most frequent.
- . Of the farm accidents occurring between 1949 and
1953, the greatest cause m 43 states was machinery. Drown-
mgs were the chief cause of deaths m Arizona and Texas,
and firearms were the main factor m Rhode Island and
West Virginia Nevada deaths resulted equally from ma
chinery, animals, firearms, and falls. Other accidental
causes included electricity, lightning, and blows from fall
ing objects.
The greatest number of futilities occurred in the 15-to-19
age group, indicating that many young people had not ac
quired necessary skills or taken proper safety precautions
in using farm machinery Next greatest number of fatali
ties was in the 10 to 14 age group, followed by children
under five The 20-to-24 age group was the safest.
An earlier Indiana Agricultural Experiment Sta
tion study indicates more accidents occurred at 10 am.
than any other time Next peaks were at 3 p m and 6pm,
when fatigue possibly reduces alertness
About one-fifth of all fatal farm accidents during
1949 and 1953 occurred in the Corn Belt States. An eighth
of the accidents weie in the Northeastern and Appalachian
States The largest number was in Texas, with 727, fol
lowed by Pennsylvania, 571, Illinois, 555, lowa, 544, Wis
consin, 528, Missouri, 525, Ohio, 522, and California, 506.
Rush made a study in South Carolina between 1946
and 1955, on the basis of newspaper clippings He tabu
lated fatal accidents of farmers and rural residents in-
eluding mishaps in the home and on the highway. About
one-fitth 19 pei cent) of the accidents were on farm land.
More fatalities occurred in December than any other
month July followed closely Brownings occurred mainly
in May, June, and July Burns were most frequent in No
vember thiough February, when farm people are exposed
to open fireplaces and unguarded stoves Machinery fa
talities, were highest in August Pedestrian deaths topped
the list in November and motor vehicle collisions were
most frequent in September
Lol the Cockroach
A county feed salesman was remarking on an adver
tisement for agricultural chemicals carried in Lancaster
Fanning
“They used to be one of my best customers when I
was m that aiea,' he said
We asked why and what he was selling to a chemi
cal company
“Dog Pellets, he said “They said that they were
the best food that they had found to feed their cock
icaches ’
It seems that the cockioach is to the chemical mdus
ti y as the guinea pig is to medicine
So we live and learn.
Published every Friday by
OCTORARO NEWSPAPERS
STAFF
Publisher
Editor
Advertising Director
Circulation Director
BY JACK REICHARD 2 5 YcafS AgO
50 YEARS AGO- (1907)
The priceless collection ’ of
china, rare bronzes and bnc-a
biac gathered by Mrs John Wana
maker from all parts of the world,
which had escaped destruction in
a fire which leveled in rums'
Lyndenhurst, the laige country
residence of the Wanamaker
family, near Jenkintown, Pa , dur
ing February, 1907, was complete
ly destroyed July 20, that year
when the stables on the grounds
in which the collection was tem
porarily housed were completely
-gutted.- Three hoises and all
stable equipment were burned tn
the blaze
The origin of both fires, which
destroyed one of the most magi
ficent counry estates in the
United States, baifeled invstiga
tors
GIRL SAVED BY
DOG’S BARK
When Miss Mamie Frey, East
Cocahco Township, upper Lan
caster County, was on her way to
Sunday School that warm July
morning, she took a short cut by
crossing the creek near her home
in a boat While getting out on
the opposite shore the boat slip
ped, throwing the girl into the
water which covered her head
The family dog, which accompani
ed the girl to the stream, saw
what had happened and began to
bark, attracting the attention of
the girl’s father, Peter Frey, who
rushed to the scene and pulled
his struggling daughter out of
the water and carried her home
She remained unconscious for
several hours, but recovered.
BREAKS FINGER
PULLING ONIONS
William Leekmg, employed as
hostler at Lancaster’s Sorrel
Horse Hotel stables, was working
an onion tojr -around his hand to
an anion top around his hand to
-pull it out the ground he broke
the middle finger of his right
hand
J
In Southern Lancaster County,
at Fairfield, while Wells Wiley,
of Wakefield, was attending the
Mt Zion M E Sunday School
festival, his horse became
Lightened, tearing itself from the
buggy, after breaking the shafts
and kicking the dashboard to
pieces Two young ladies seated in
(he vehicle were thrown out but
not huit The horst ran among
other teams on the grounds,
breaking the shafts of a buggy
owned by Robeit Collins, and toie
a wheel off a buggy owned by
Galen Girvm befoie it was caught
OCTORARO FARMERS’
CLUB IN SESSION
Lancaster County’s Octoraro
I aimers’ Club met at the Spring
Lawn faim of Edwin Chamber
Satuiday, July 20, a half centmy
ago Although most of the fami
lies were lepiesented some of the
male members weie abbsent due
the busy crop season Morning
and afternoon programs were
presented, with music furnished
throughout the day by George
Webstei on the phonogiaph
Following the serving of din
ner, the men sti oiled over the
farm inspecting the crops and
noting things in general The
women folk spent a social hour
in admiring the 75 feet of sweet
peas which were in full bloom,
the spacious garden and well
kept lawn
Wilhslan Florida, was ' the
country s chief cucumber growing
center a hall century ago In
1906 the aiea produced 56,000
baskets of the product to supply,
northern markets In 1907 grow
eis expected to increase produc
tion to 70,000 baskets of cucum
bers
Week*
:er Farming
North Dakota farmers, who
produced one-sixth of the na
tion’s wheat output in 1932, re
solved to hold out for one dollar
a bushel Dell Willis, of Tolna, a
large wheat grower, was named
chairman of the organization
which had stirred up farmers in
more than 400 North Dakota,
townships to pledge holding their
wheat until the $1 level was
reached When the set price was
reached it was planned to sell 10
per cent of the crop monthly
PRRESIDENT HOOVER
CUTS SALARIES
President Herbert Hoover cut
his own salary 20 per cent and
ordered reductions of 15 per cent
in the pay of the Vice President
and cabinet members in an
economic move, 25 years ago this
week
Instead of $75,000 yearly, Mr
Hoover was to receive $6,000 and
the Vice President and cabinet
members were to get $12,750
stead of $15,000
A fire blamed on heat from
harvested oats destroyed a large
barn on the farm of Allen John
son at Pilot, Md An unoccupied
tenant house, used for storage
purposes, also was destroyed
Background Scripture: Numbers 13,
14 1-10, 24. 30 3S, Joshua 14 6-15, 15 13-
19. Judges 1 14 15
Devptional Reading: Isaiah 40 27-31
Rugged
Faith
Lesson for July 21, 1957
A MAN who at the age of 40 was
not afraid to give a minority
report even in the face of a threat
ened lynching, a man who at 85
was still asking for the hardest job
and the most dangerous job in the
country; such a man is woith moie
than a glance Such a man was
Caleb, a much y
poiaiy of Moses
We fix st heai of
this stuidy man
when he and
Joshua stood out
alone against the
o v e i whelming
pessimism of the
majonty “Re
port on Pi os-
pects.” Twelve
tribal leadeis Dr. Foreman
had been chosen to go into Pales
tine and see what things looked
like Ten of these leadeis biought
back the woid (and'“aichaeology
shows it was tiue) The countiy
is full of well-built well-foi tilled
cities. We shall not take it without
a fight But then they went on to
say We shall lose*the fight Foiget
all about the conquest of Canaan,
it cant be done We aie no better
than giasshoppers!
God-Conscious
On the facts, Caleb and Joshua
agieed A beautiful land, well-de
fended cities, plenty of fighting
ceitam But on the lecommenda
tions they had something different
to say “Do not feai,” they said.
‘ The Lord is with us ” But no one
believed them unless it was Moses.
The people weie so far fiom be
lieving them that they thieatened
them _with death by stoning The
difference between Caleb and Josh
ua, on the one side, and the masses
of the people on the other, was
the faith of these men The ma
jority thought only, “We can do
nothing” This tiny minority
thought “We can do a gieat deal
—it God is with us ” The majority
looked at the situation and found
It hopelessj because they tound it
A stiff breeze carried burning
embers to the nearby farm of
Charles Smith, burning the barn,
chicken house and hogpen to tho
ground
Rising Sun Fire Co responded
to the call, and later called tho
uarryville Fire Co to aid in get
ting the flames under control.
The death of L Wayne Bnnton,
Lancaster County farmer residms*
near Kirkwood, occurred m tht*
Lancaster General Hospital, from
iniunes received while threshing.
Bnnton had been feeding the
machine, when it became over
heated and the involving cylinder
burst, with the flying pieces
striking him on the head and
body His son, Loran, who was
close by, also received cuts in
the face from the flying pieces of
steel Others assisting in the worli
of threshing were Brinton’s son,
Robert, Paul Ferguson, James
Trimble and Henry McCall,
neighbors, who escaped injury
The interior of the threshing rig
was wrecked
STORM DAMAGE
IN YORK COUNTY
Crops were damaged and
and poles knocked down in a
storm that swept over York
County July 22, 1932
In the eastern section of York
City the laige pillars on the tow
er of the Fourth United Brethren
Church were torn loose when
struck by a bolt of lightning The
pillars crashed through the roof
of the church and fell in th emain
auditonum
In the northern section of th®
county hail fell, cutting standing
crops to ribbons and smashing
panes of glass in greenhouses in
that area.
godless Caleb looked at the same
situation with hope and confidence,
because he saw God as the most
important part of it The reason
why faith is strong is that faith is
God-conscious.
On God.’s Side %
Merely being aware of God is
not the whole of faith, —not the
whole of the lugged faith of Caleb.
It is quite clear fiom what Caleb
said, that he wanted to be, and
believed he was, on God’s side,
and cariying out God’s purposes.
Faith not only sees God in hard
situations, faith lines up with God,
so far as God’s will can be seen.
There is a great deal of difference,
for example, between faith as
find it in Luther and as we find
it in Hitler. Both of them were
men of strong faith They believed
themselves to be men of destiny.
But then why weie they so dif
ferent 9 The difference was in this:
Luther wished nothing higher than
to follow the will of God wherever
it might lead him, Hitler if he be
lieved in God at all, expected God
to support his own ambitions A
Hitlei ciacks up at the last, but a m
Luthei does not So Caleb outlived*
his entne generation for his hope
and his faith weie planted in God,
not in himself
Without Fear, Without Pride
Faith m God like all good things
can be turned into a sort of mock
eiy of itself, a cheap or grotesque
imitation of leality Faith can be
a covei-up for fear. It can be used
as a ieh eat to get out of
mg haid things Once a young mair
Mas pleading in a gicat gathering
of Chustian leadeis, for men to
go out as Chustian missionanes,—
this in a day when missionaries
weie veiy few An oldei minister
rose and told the young man to
sit down “When God is ready to
convert the heathen, he will do it
without your help'” That minister
was using his faith to conceal his
own unwillingness to risk the dan-_
geis of being a missionary Some*
parents aie so much afiaid of vac
cination that they will refuse to let
their childien be vaccinated—we
believe In God, they say True
faith Is a rugged thing, as Caleb’s
was It asks for the hardest tasks,
it is not afraid of work or danger.
Then faith can be twisted into
pride; Hitler is an example of that,
so was Napoleon. So was the Gland
Inquisitor; so have been any num
ber of tyrants in the church and#
out of it True faith creates con
fidence, but not conceit. When a
man of faith begins to confuse him
self with God, rugged faith ha*
changed to brittle arrogance.
(Based on outlines copyrighted by tbo
Division of Christian Education, Na
tional Council of the Churches of Christ
In tho U. S. A. Released by Community
Yresa Senloe.)
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